Russia, US presidents begin talks in Yokohama

YOKOHAMA, November 14 (Itar-Tass) - The presidents of Russia and the
United States - Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama - have begun a bilateral
meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The leaders greeted each
other and started a conversation that takes place at the Intercontinental
Yokohama Grand Hotel where Obama is accommodated for the summit.
The talks of the two presidents are held behind closed doors. They
will make a statement on the meeting's results.
Taking part in the talks on the Russian side are RF Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov, presidential aides - Prikhodko and Arkady Dvorkovich, as
well as other members of the delegation.
Russia hopes that the change in the balance of forces in a renewed US
Congress will not lead to new interpretation by the US legislators and
political elite of the US national interests, to revision of the course
towards strengthening of relations with Russia. Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov told reporters about this on November 12. "I hope that not
tactical considerations in trying to beat the other party prevail in the
US Congress, but the understanding of US core interests will prevail," the
Russian foreign minister said. "The term resetting reflects an
understanding by the US administration of the need to change its policy
towards Russia," Lavrov said. He noted real changes occur today in the
cooperation atmosphere, to which the signing of the START Treaty testifies
first of all. "As to the influence of the results of the US congressional
elections I will not make suppositions, domestic problems had always
played their role that affected also the foreign policy," Lavrov said.
-0-


.Russia's Proton rocket to orbit American communications satellite.

MOSCOW, November 14 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Proton rocket with the
American communications satellite SkyTerra-1 will be launched from the
Baikonur cosmodrome on Sunday.
"The launch of the Proton-M carrier rocket with the Briz-M upper stage
is scheduled for 20:29 MSK," spokesman for the Khrunichev State Space
Research and Production Centre Alexander Bobrenev told Itar-Tass.
"The launch of the SkyTerra-1 satellite is carried out under the
developed orbiting scheme with the use of the standard flight course and
areas of fall of detached parts of the carrier rocket," he said. "The use
of the standard trajectory simplifies the development of the launching
programme and corresponding calculations and analysis, thus the system's
reliability is increased," according to the official
The satellite was created for the cellular communication company in
the US territory - LightSquared, according to the American company
International Launch Services (ILS) the majority stake in which is held by
the Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Centre.
The SkyTerra-1 satellite was created jointly by the Boeing and
Intelligence Systems corporations and is designed to give users of
conventional cell phones access to satellite communication technology. The
estimated service life of the spacecraft is 15 years.
ILS is based in Reston (Virginia) and promotes to the international
services market the Proton carrier rocket and the Briz-M upper stage,
which were designed by the Khrunichev Space Centre. The JV was established
in 1995, by Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev Centre and Energia Rocket-Space
Corporation. In 2006, Lockheed Martin withdrew from the partnership
together with its Atlas rocket by selling the majority stake to German
entrepreneur Mario Lemme. In May 2008, Khrunichev bought the stake.
The coming launch will be the 10th for the Proton-M rocket in 2010 and
361st in its flight history, according to the Khrunichev Centre. It will
be the seventh for ILS in 2010 and 63rd since the beginning of commercial
use of the Proton rockets in April 1996. Besides, it will be the 14th
launch of the Proton carrier rocket with a spacecraft developed by Boeing
Corporation.
-0-


.Akademik Fyodorov ship to stop at Bremerhaven on way to Antarctica.

ST. PETERSBURG, November 14 (Itar-Tass) - The flagship of the Russian
polar fleet - research expedition vessel Akademik Fyodorov that is sailing
from St. Petersburg to Antarctica, on Sunday will make a three-day
stopover in the German port of Bremerhaven, Deputy Director of the Arctic
and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) of the Federal Hydrometeorological
and Environmental Monitoring Service (Rosgidromet) - Chief Engineer Arkady
Soshnikov told Itar-Tass.
He specified that the ship will take on board two helicopters KA-32,
as well as two Kassbohrer tractive vehicles that had been previously
bought from the German firm, for the supply of the inland Vostok station
and conducting research. The diesel-electric ship will also be refuelled
and take additional supply of food aboard.
As many as 108 polar explorers are sailing to Antarctica. About 60
specialists who will arrive by passenger flights from St. Petersburg will
join the main Russian Antarctica Expedition (RAE) crew in South Africa's
Cape Town." The vessel also has on board the material and technical
supplies for the Antarctic stations Mirny, Vostok, Progress and
Novolazarevskaya, including fuel, food, consumables, spare parts,
technical equipment and instruments. It also carries instruments and
equipment for seasonal research at these stations and the field bases
Molodezhnaya, Druzhanaya-4 and Soyuz, aircraft equipment of the
Vladivostok-based Avialift enterprise, transport equipment and trailing
appliances for inland sledge-tracked expeditions, building materials and
equipment for the construction of a new wintering complex at the Progress
station.
The cargoes delivered to Antarctica should ensure uninterrupted
autonomous stay of the expedition personnel during 12 months. Specialists
will conduct on the ship's route during sailing between the Antarctic
stations and field bases "incidental research to study various natural
processes in the ocean, atmosphere, ionosphere and ozonosphere of our
planet, as well as the hydrographic survey."
The Akademik Fyorodov expedition hopes to reach Antarctica in the area
of the Progress station on December 26.
The return of the expedition vessel Akademik Fyodorov from Antarctica
to St. Petersburg is scheduled for early May 2011, the Rosgidromet's
Research Institute noted.
-0-


.Medvedev states progress in Russia's accession to WTO.

YOKOHAMA, November 14 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
has noted progress in the process of Russia's joining the World Trade
Organisation (WTO).
"We have made very serious progress recently in the WTO accession
issues," the Russian leader said at a meeting with the US president. "I
see this as the merit of the current team of President Obama, which
fulfils all the agreements that were reached during my visit to
Washington," he said.
"I hope that this work will continue, and Russia will soon join the
WTO," Medvedev said.
-0-ezh